WINE ADVOCATE 90-92 POINTS - âInsiders and shrewd consumers have long realized that the 30,000-bottle Syrah La Rosine Vin de Pays cuvee is a great bargain. Read More...

The 2011 is a 100% Syrah from the steep hillsides north of the old Roman town of Vienne, a few miles up river from Cote Rotie. The soils are largely decomposed granite. The 2011 La Rosine is a serious Syrah displaying lots of tapenade, blackberry, charcoal and fruit. This beautifully made wine sells at a remarkably fair price as it resembles a Cote Rotie from the Cote Brune."

We love it when we can get a good deal to you, especially when it means getting a declassified Cornas at Cotes du Rhone pricing. Such is the case with a wine from the young winemaker, Read More...

Matthieu Barret, who comes from a generation of winemakers (his grandfather founded Domaine du Coulet after WWII), and Matthieu has farmed biodynamically in the Northern Rhone since 2002. His Cornas, Domaine Coulet, demands $50 and above price points and routinely scores 93-96 points from Wine Spectator. James Molesworth of WS called Matthieu ââ¦the future in Cornas (and) ...the single most exciting new domaine in the appellation today.â Had this wine come from a different zip code, the price would change dramatically. But as the old Real Estate saying goes, itâs all about âlocation, location, location,â and it is you Dear Reader, who benefits from this districting loophole.

The wine we are offering is Matthieu Barretâs 2013 âPetit Ours Brunâ, or âLittle Brown Bearâ Cotes du Rhone. A wine made of 100% Syrah from vineyards which lie between Cornas and St. Joseph, with 40-year-old vines and aged in neutral barrels. This sumptuous wine is generous with violets, boysenberry, and red fruits, and finishes with a smoky meaty character and crushed rock. This is a seamless, complex wine without getting ponderous, and is utterly charming and delicious. This is a no-brainer of a Northern Rhone buy and is definitely a wine to âback the truckâ on, or in this case, fill your cave with this âLittle Brown Bear.â

with a peppery topnote. Tangy and focused on entry, then fleshier in the mid-palate, offering sappy red fruit flavors and a touch of bitter chocolate. Finishes with firm grip, silky tannins and a jolt of cracked pepper. No easy fruit here."

Extracted aromas of crushed cherry and spring rhubarb pie are delicately framed by seasoned French oak. The entry is vibrant and powerful, which leads to luscious flavors of wild strawberry Read More...

that perfectly rounds out the mid-palate. Ripe blackberry and blueberry notes coalesce to form an intense lasting finish.

Non Vintage Grenache : Solera from 1999 to 2010
Fermented and aged in vat - 100% Grenache
Little James is at Saint Cosme the wine of freedom. Our Solera is getting more Read More...

and more complexity year after year. When we add the current vintage, the solera gains a new element without changing the style...This wine recalls the ancient times when the wine merchants would make wines having only one target : the pleasure. Blending several vintages is considered being a great quality tradition in Champagne. I think it works exactly the same for a great Grenache. The 2011 bottling will be composed with 50% of 2010 along with 50% from all the vintages
back to 1999.
Cherry, oriental spices, lavender, strawberry.

licorice and subtle smoke along with great intensity, a full-bodied mouthfeel and a fantastic finish. It will be drinkable early in life and keep for two decades."

This wine originates from a monopoly of the best terroirs adjoining what were previously the Jean-Louis Grippat and Vallouit estates. This is a unique expression of the best situated slopes of the Saint-Joseph appellation. And when it comes to the winemaking: "...no one in the wine world is better at âraisingâ a wine (or as the French call it elevage) than Marcel Guigal, who learned the skills from his father, Etienne. Because everyone tends to focus on vintage conditions and terroir, the importance of a wineâs elevage is often overlooked, but Guigalâs unusually long tank, foudre and small barrel aging regime for all his red wines as well as several of his whites results in an array of remarkable wines time and time again." - Robert Parker

spring flowers and crushed rock in a full-bodied, intense, deep, textured style. Undeniable minerality, good acidity and a slightly more structured mouthfeel suggest it will need several years of bottle age after its release next year; it should keep for two decades."

ROBERT PARKER 89 POINTS: "Leading off the three reds presented, the 2012 Saint Joseph Silice was completely destemmed and aged 12 months in a combination Read More...

of smaller barrels and demi-muid. Loaded with notions of smoked black fruits, underbrush and earth, itâs a dark, chewy, medium to full-bodied, mineral-laced effort to drink over the coming 7-8 years."

eROBERT PARKER 91-93 pOINTS: "Most likely just as good, the 2012 Saint Joseph, which I was able to taste from multiple barrels, offers up a classic Read More...

bouquet of black pepper, olive paste, bouquet garni and copious dark fruits. Medium to full-bodied, supple and nicely concentrated, with excellent mid-palate depth and ripe, chewy tannin, it should be given a handful of years in the cellar and drink nicely through 2024."

Along the steep, narrow valley that traces the northern RhÃ´ne, the appellations of CÃ´te-RÃ´tie, Condrieu and Saint-Joseph take their place among the great wines of France, and Domaine Read More...

Faury is one of the regionâs most artisanal producers. When Philippe Faury took over the domaine in 1979, the family was selling wine, peaches and cherries, and the bulk of their clientele was local. Over the years, Philippe expanded their holdings to over eleven hectares, and expanded sales to an international client base. In addition, he has shared his savoir faire with his son, Lionel. Since 2006, Lionel has taken over the reins at Domaine Faury, though father and son still work side by side.

The steep slopes of the northern RhÃ´ne present a challenging terrain where farming is only feasible through terracing. On these terraced slopes, the Faurysâ vines take full advantage of the southern and southeastern sun exposure, benefitting from optimum ripening. A combination of the predominately granitic soil, partial de-stemming (in about 70% of the grapes), soft crushing of the grapes with a pneumatic press, and temperature controlled fermentation offer a liveliness and freshness that one does not often find in wines from the northern RhÃ´ne. Thereâs a real attention to detail here, and nothing is done in haste. Every method used encourages the grape towards greatness with the ultimate respect for its fragility. Pigeage, the punching of the cap, is not carried out with tools, but gently by foot â not just poetic but also pragmatic. Unlike many other vignerons in the region, the Faurys have a strong aversion to new oak. Though the reds definitely see time in barrels, there is a rotation between new and old alike, along with a variety of sizes, ranging from the smaller barriques to the larger 600-liter demi-muids. Unfined and only lightly filtered before bottling, these wines are loaded with classic flavors and show a remarkable rustic elegance.

eROBERT PARKER 92 POINTS: "Even better and one thrilling white, the 2012 Saint Joseph Lieu-Dit Blanc, which comes from the vineyard that gave the appellation Read More...

its name, is a smoking blend of 93% Marsanne and 7% Roussanne thatâs brought up all in new oak barrels. Rich, textured and full-bodied, it oozes notions of caramelized peaches, toast, cream and brioche. Itâs knockout stuff and should drink nicely for over a decade (although Iâd drink it over the coming couple of years)."

The steep slopes of the northern RhÃ´ne present a challenging terrain where farming is only feasible
through terracing. On these terraced slopes, the Faurysâ vines take full advantage Read More...

of the southern
and southeastern sun exposure, benefitting from optimum ripening. A combination of the
predominately granitic soil, partial de-stemming (in about 70% of the grapes), soft crushing of the
grapes with a pneumatic press, and temperature controlled fermentation offer a liveliness and
freshness that one does not often find in wines from the northern RhÃ´ne. Thereâs a real attention to
detail here, and nothing is done in haste.

Moderately dense dark red purple. Appealing aroma of scented black and red cherry which are prominent on the palate as well. There is real intensity and persistence without density, Read More...

and the wine finishes with a defining backbone of acidity and touch of dry tannin. Apparently, this is the promising first year of this domaine, created from a part of the family property by a recent oenology graduate." 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah.